Vocal fatigue can affect every singer to varying degrees. In the amateur ranks, the cure is usually painless and very simple. If one is not under the pressure of having to sing in order to keep a chicken in the stew pot, that singer can just stop for a while and rest will allow the fatigue to subside. Even in cases where the fatigue was brought about by bad singing technique, rest usually does the trick. After a short break, the singer can go back to the karaoke bar or the church choir and resume singing, bad technique intact, until fatigue once again dictates a period of inactivity.
But what about the professional singer who has dates on the calendar? There are professional singers who may have less than perfect technique and suffer from vocal fatigue. Indeed, there are a great many professionals whose lack of extensive vocal training can be an integral element of their style. Introducing too much correct technique into the style of a known artist with a characteristic sound can be catastrophic. I know that I'll get heat for that last statement, but only from the academic crowd. But screw you, you know who you are...snobs! Get back in your classroom and shut the door.
I have worked with quite a few pros who suffer from vocal fatigue. The first step in helping such a singer is to provide reassurance. The stress of thinking that one has lost one's voice can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when rehabilitation is required. After a singer buys into the possibility that the voice can and will come back, the real work can begin.
A singer should never think about technique when performing. If proper care is taken to develop exercises which gently heal the overused elements of the vocal mechanism, it will be able to recover sufficiently for the singer to continue performing without changing style or character. When a singer's style includes tension or a tight throat, there is damage done to the mechanism every performance. Consequently, every night's work begins a bit worse off than the last, until fatigue doesn't allow the singer to continue. Certain exercises designed specifically with each particular singer in mind can serve to get back what is lost during performance much like a football player might use water jet treatment or massage to therapeutically loosen fatigued or damaged muscles. This requires patience, trust, thorough knowledge of vocal mechanics and imagination. The sort of thinking that can deal with vocal fatigue in a well-known singer is the sort of creative thinking that may sometimes be frowned upon in academia. But professional singers live and work in the real world and sometimes an academic approach can fall short of success in real world scenarios.
My favorite tube amp technician is a purist. ( Yeah, I know. This is going off on a tangent but stick with me.) You can't pay him enough money to do a modification on a vintage amp. But there is one area where he will fudge the specifications. Say you have a sweet Fender Tweed Deluxe. The thing has been running with the same old capacitors for 30 years and is starting to make rice crispy noises as it warms up. Now, normally, an amp tech would replace the old, tired and leaking capacitors with new ones made to the original manufacturer's specifications. You plug in to the amp and, gosh, doesn't it sound fresh and clean. But wait. What happened to that lovely warmth, that flannel-like fuzzy mantle that surrounded your guitar sound? Aha! This is a case of correctness spoiling character. My guy will tell you that your amp does need capacitors and if you don't replace them, the sound will deteriorate further over time. But the deterioration up to this point has resulted in a sound that you like. So he will measure the value of the capacitors as they are today, and install new ones at the deteriorated value. Now your amp will have that character that you've grown to love without deteriorating. No, the values of the new capacitors are not correct according to the factory schematic. BUT WHO CARES!! The amp performs the way you like it to and it will do so dependably.
Now, I don't know if you'll understand the correlation between my amp rap and the issue of alleviating vocal fatigue. Suffice it to say that creativity is not limited to performers. The creative minds that work in support of creative performers can have a great impact on what you see and hear on the concert stage.
Think "outside." Think of something you do as a result of habit, and just for today, do that one thing differently...but don't hurt yourself!
Next entry, I'll discuss some pertinent vocal exercises and how they came about.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Studying for the bar...and Sellaband's Vegas Dragons
When I was nineteen, A few college mates and I started a band. We had a Hammond organ and three piece horn section so the logical material for us to play was Blood Sweat and Tears, Chicago and Cold Blood. All of us were music students and man, we were snobs. We prided ourselves on being able to read music and thought quite a lot of ourselves.
Then I fell in with some cats who weren't musicians but who influenced me more than any musicians had up to that point. To be frank about it, I don't really know what influenced me more, their acid and weed...or their record collections. I look back on those times as my years of studying for the bar...because it was at the bar that we usually ended our daily studies.
We played a game called, "Favorite Record" the object of which was to play a record and convince the others of a particular artists merits. If enough members of the group hated your choice, the record was smashed to bits. We made our choices with much trepidation and a world of music of which I had not previously been aware was laid open to me.
And suddenly I found myself, a serious college music student, playing bass in a bar band... LOUDER THAN SHIT!! And what did we play? Album cuts from what had become my favorite records, of course. Tender little ditties like, Chunga's Revenge and Eat That Question by Zappa...Dark Star by the Dead...and 45 minute frenzied jams ala Captain Beefheart. And were we popular? Hell No! Did we care? You gotta be kidding! We dug it and that was all that mattered. We played and lived with absolute reckless abandon.
And that brings me to a band that is soon to achieve their album budget funding goal on Sellaband. The Vegas Dragons are an Australian band led by a personable fellow named Brian Taylor. I met Brian at the "London Calling" show where I played bass with another fine Sellaband artist on the rise, Lucia Iman. So tonight, I decided to give Brian and the Vegas Dragons a good listening to and hear what this personable young man's band is all about.
After listening to the three songs posted on their Sellaband page, I thought to myself, Oh, this is going to be a short review. Because all that I could think of to say was..."JESUS CHRIST!!!" Yeah, I know, Too short to be a thorough review... and I felt that, as nice a guy as Brian is, I owe the band more than that. So let me try to put my impressions into a more detailed form.
We've all seen the silent movie where some poor shlub is walking down the sidewalk, whistling to himself and thinking that the day is just too groovy to be true. Then he turns a corner and...BLAM! A safe falls out of an office building and drives the guy into the sidewalk up to his chin like a 16 penny nail. That...is called impact. The Vegas Dragons have impact, but not that kind. Their kind of impact is...well, imagine that the safe didn't stop at the sidewalk. Imagine getting hit on the head with a safe and it just kept going, right through the sidewalk, through the earth's crust, gathering speed as it plowed through the mantle, then the core and didn't lose steam until it drove you right out onto a street in China. That's as close as I can get to describing the Vegas Dragons brand of impact.
Musically, the band has no weakness. The palette of sound colors seems to be very well thought out and only lacks the polish that a first rate studio recording would provide. The intent and concept are evident as depicted on the mp3s . The rhythm section plays with absolute reckless abandon...or so it seems. In actual fact, these guys play some intensely challenging and difficult parts, but in a spirit that recalls my years of studying at the bar. It's that Alan Watts dichotemy of doing something as if you just don't give a shit... but also in the knowledge that this may be your last chance so you better nail it.
The song "Hands of Love" is just a lie from beginning to end. Here you are, minding your own business, whistling your way down the sidewalk. It starts to get a bit more intense, but you're still okay. Then, four-and-a-half minutes into the song...BLAM! And then it's another 90 seconds of being plowed through the earth by a runaway safe.
Brian and the Vegas Dragons will get their day in court. It's just a matter of time before believers in this band put them over the top and they go into the studio. I wish them the success that they will deserve when their recording is completed. But before that, I wish for them a producer and a production team that really gets under the surface and allows them to realize their most interesting vision.
And now... I'm beat, I'm going to the bar...
Then I fell in with some cats who weren't musicians but who influenced me more than any musicians had up to that point. To be frank about it, I don't really know what influenced me more, their acid and weed...or their record collections. I look back on those times as my years of studying for the bar...because it was at the bar that we usually ended our daily studies.
We played a game called, "Favorite Record" the object of which was to play a record and convince the others of a particular artists merits. If enough members of the group hated your choice, the record was smashed to bits. We made our choices with much trepidation and a world of music of which I had not previously been aware was laid open to me.
And suddenly I found myself, a serious college music student, playing bass in a bar band... LOUDER THAN SHIT!! And what did we play? Album cuts from what had become my favorite records, of course. Tender little ditties like, Chunga's Revenge and Eat That Question by Zappa...Dark Star by the Dead...and 45 minute frenzied jams ala Captain Beefheart. And were we popular? Hell No! Did we care? You gotta be kidding! We dug it and that was all that mattered. We played and lived with absolute reckless abandon.
And that brings me to a band that is soon to achieve their album budget funding goal on Sellaband. The Vegas Dragons are an Australian band led by a personable fellow named Brian Taylor. I met Brian at the "London Calling" show where I played bass with another fine Sellaband artist on the rise, Lucia Iman. So tonight, I decided to give Brian and the Vegas Dragons a good listening to and hear what this personable young man's band is all about.
After listening to the three songs posted on their Sellaband page, I thought to myself, Oh, this is going to be a short review. Because all that I could think of to say was..."JESUS CHRIST!!!" Yeah, I know, Too short to be a thorough review... and I felt that, as nice a guy as Brian is, I owe the band more than that. So let me try to put my impressions into a more detailed form.
We've all seen the silent movie where some poor shlub is walking down the sidewalk, whistling to himself and thinking that the day is just too groovy to be true. Then he turns a corner and...BLAM! A safe falls out of an office building and drives the guy into the sidewalk up to his chin like a 16 penny nail. That...is called impact. The Vegas Dragons have impact, but not that kind. Their kind of impact is...well, imagine that the safe didn't stop at the sidewalk. Imagine getting hit on the head with a safe and it just kept going, right through the sidewalk, through the earth's crust, gathering speed as it plowed through the mantle, then the core and didn't lose steam until it drove you right out onto a street in China. That's as close as I can get to describing the Vegas Dragons brand of impact.
Musically, the band has no weakness. The palette of sound colors seems to be very well thought out and only lacks the polish that a first rate studio recording would provide. The intent and concept are evident as depicted on the mp3s . The rhythm section plays with absolute reckless abandon...or so it seems. In actual fact, these guys play some intensely challenging and difficult parts, but in a spirit that recalls my years of studying at the bar. It's that Alan Watts dichotemy of doing something as if you just don't give a shit... but also in the knowledge that this may be your last chance so you better nail it.
The song "Hands of Love" is just a lie from beginning to end. Here you are, minding your own business, whistling your way down the sidewalk. It starts to get a bit more intense, but you're still okay. Then, four-and-a-half minutes into the song...BLAM! And then it's another 90 seconds of being plowed through the earth by a runaway safe.
Brian and the Vegas Dragons will get their day in court. It's just a matter of time before believers in this band put them over the top and they go into the studio. I wish them the success that they will deserve when their recording is completed. But before that, I wish for them a producer and a production team that really gets under the surface and allows them to realize their most interesting vision.
And now... I'm beat, I'm going to the bar...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sellaband's Trail and Memories...
I just had a good listen to the three tracks offered on the Sellaband web site by a band called Trail. Keeping in mind that these are mp3 files and there are some sonic compromises associated with compression, I'd like to thank the band for screwing away my workday by shifting my mind away from the tasks at hand and forcing me to relive some rather pleasant memories of my very first days as a musician...days spent staring at Fender Guitar catalogs as if they were my older brothers hidden Playboy magazines.
When I first began to play the guitar and later, the bass, I would walk home from school and linger at the window of the local music store. In the window there stood a half dozen Japanese guitars. They were similar to corresponding American models, but there was always something just a bit "off" about them. The pickguards were perhaps a bit garish, the finishes too sparkly, the headstocks close, but mis-shapen enough to make the instruments have the appearance of trying to be something they were not.
On occasion I would make my way to the back of the store. And there, in the cool air laden with the sweet aroma of tolex, dusty tube amps and bins of sheet music, I stood and stared at what was to me the most beautiful form I could imagine the angels had brought to this earth. Genuine, in the flesh Fender guitars! The single most captivating image was the headstock. I still catch myself staring at my '62 Precision Bass in the same way today...as if I had a nineteen year old Bridget Bardot in my sights.
And that brings me back to Trail. Listening to their music, I found myself drifting off into those early days when I would stare at pictures of George Harrison to see if I could copy the way his left hand formed a chord on the guitar neck. I think that it's mainly the guitar sounds on these songs that does that.
My earliest bands played surf music because none of us wanted to sing. After we found that singing drew more girls, we made the jump to songs by The Animals, The Yardbirds and of course The Beatles. Trail's guitar sounds are nostalgic in character. The tone as well as the voicings and parts, in their simplicity, have a freshness that cuts through the bullshit of the arsenal now available to guitarists that many times dials their sound out of the realm of human empathy.
There is a wonderful album by my pal, Richard Bennett entitled "Themes for a Rainy Day" which is THE dictionary of vintage guitar sounds. Richard has been doing it for a few years and with the best in the business. His discography is gargantuan. Trail is well on the way to developing a sonic signature at a very precocious stage of development.
Trail's vocal sound is equally captivating. There is youth and angst tempered with restraint and good musicianship. It isn't easy to get mature ideas across and sound fresh doing it. "Shapes of Things" by the Yardbirds comes immediately to mind as a good example. Again, Trail deserves high marks in this department.
There is however, one area which I question. The drums and bass tracks are played very well, but for my taste, they are not as impactful as the guitars. I would like to hear a bit more "in your face" mixing attitude. But again, these are mp3 files. If the mixes are a matter of taste, fair enough. But I can't help thinking that given the right production resources, Trail would sound bigger than the recordings on the web site indicate.
In any case, Trail is fast approaching their goal of generating enough belief in their music to warrant making a top-notch album. I'm looking forward to hearing this band tear it up.
When I first began to play the guitar and later, the bass, I would walk home from school and linger at the window of the local music store. In the window there stood a half dozen Japanese guitars. They were similar to corresponding American models, but there was always something just a bit "off" about them. The pickguards were perhaps a bit garish, the finishes too sparkly, the headstocks close, but mis-shapen enough to make the instruments have the appearance of trying to be something they were not.
On occasion I would make my way to the back of the store. And there, in the cool air laden with the sweet aroma of tolex, dusty tube amps and bins of sheet music, I stood and stared at what was to me the most beautiful form I could imagine the angels had brought to this earth. Genuine, in the flesh Fender guitars! The single most captivating image was the headstock. I still catch myself staring at my '62 Precision Bass in the same way today...as if I had a nineteen year old Bridget Bardot in my sights.
And that brings me back to Trail. Listening to their music, I found myself drifting off into those early days when I would stare at pictures of George Harrison to see if I could copy the way his left hand formed a chord on the guitar neck. I think that it's mainly the guitar sounds on these songs that does that.
My earliest bands played surf music because none of us wanted to sing. After we found that singing drew more girls, we made the jump to songs by The Animals, The Yardbirds and of course The Beatles. Trail's guitar sounds are nostalgic in character. The tone as well as the voicings and parts, in their simplicity, have a freshness that cuts through the bullshit of the arsenal now available to guitarists that many times dials their sound out of the realm of human empathy.
There is a wonderful album by my pal, Richard Bennett entitled "Themes for a Rainy Day" which is THE dictionary of vintage guitar sounds. Richard has been doing it for a few years and with the best in the business. His discography is gargantuan. Trail is well on the way to developing a sonic signature at a very precocious stage of development.
Trail's vocal sound is equally captivating. There is youth and angst tempered with restraint and good musicianship. It isn't easy to get mature ideas across and sound fresh doing it. "Shapes of Things" by the Yardbirds comes immediately to mind as a good example. Again, Trail deserves high marks in this department.
There is however, one area which I question. The drums and bass tracks are played very well, but for my taste, they are not as impactful as the guitars. I would like to hear a bit more "in your face" mixing attitude. But again, these are mp3 files. If the mixes are a matter of taste, fair enough. But I can't help thinking that given the right production resources, Trail would sound bigger than the recordings on the web site indicate.
In any case, Trail is fast approaching their goal of generating enough belief in their music to warrant making a top-notch album. I'm looking forward to hearing this band tear it up.
U-Boat 15, and Wetwerks on Sellaband
I got a tip today about a band that deserves a second listen. The band is called Wetwerks and they are on the Sellaband web site. Actually, Wetwerks deserves a second, third and fourth listen. I'm actually looping "Further Than My Eyes" as I write this entry. But before I get into reviewing this excellent band from upstate New York, I want to tell you about a project that is near and dear to my heart.
U-Boat 15 is a new blog that is being written by my grandfather, Franz Strobl. When Franz died in the early seventies, I received a package from Salzburg containing a few of his personal items, among them a pile of handwritten papers containing the memoirs of his service in the submarine corps of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during WWI.
My Grandfather was nineteen as he began recording his experiences of those turbulent times. He was a prankster and the memoirs are full of the innocent humor and bravado of a typical nineteen year old. But as the war progressed, the humor and bravado gradually morphed into the dark fatalism that only war and its carnage can accomplish.
He began his service as a romantic warrior, proud to serve his country in the elite submarine service. Before the war had ended, he was a highly decorated hero...and a broken, hungry man, old beyond his years and wondering what it was all for.
I hope you have an opportunity to log onto U-Boat 15. Franz would like a word with you.
And now, back to the 21st century music world. Wetwerks has very obviously worked very hard to accomplish what I'm hearing in my headphones. The band deserves high marks for the attention to detail pervading the tracks posted on their Sellaband page. I like to listen at a fairly soft level and this is how I hear it.
First, all the instrumental virtuosity in the world cannot hide a crap song. I mean, how many guitar stores are there in the "civilized" world? And every one of them is bursting at the seams with zit-encrusted speed demons burning their licks on demo rigs at 240 beats per minute...and All of them work at burger joints! Why? Because they can't play a fucking SONG! And without a song, it's just a pile of cacophanous noise.
"Further Than My Eyes" is a SONG. And Wetwerks has hand-crafted that song to be enjoyed by a broader audience than the first listen would indicate. The rhythm section doesn't just sound good...they feel good. The track is butt-hole tight and very professionally executed.
The guitars are all steroids and hair and balls...but when you listen for the third and fourth time, you realize that you can hear details. These parts are very well thought out and great attention has been paid to dynamics. And the dynamics of the guitars in combination with the vicious accuracy of the rhythm section are the perfect frame around...
...the Vocals. The band plays and sounds very aggressive, but at no time is the vocal compromised. Not only could I hear the lyrics, I could understand every word. That sort of sonic awareness only comes with maturity, musicianship and a lot of good old hard work.
The bottom line of Bottom-End is this. Wetwerks has already done the hard part. In the proper recording environment and with an ample recording budget, Wetwerks is certain to make a big impression . A big hat's off.
So class, here is your homework:
1. Log on to U-Boat 15 and check out grandfather's blog.
2. Log on to Sellaband and listen to Wetwerks...three or four times.
U-Boat 15 is a new blog that is being written by my grandfather, Franz Strobl. When Franz died in the early seventies, I received a package from Salzburg containing a few of his personal items, among them a pile of handwritten papers containing the memoirs of his service in the submarine corps of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during WWI.
My Grandfather was nineteen as he began recording his experiences of those turbulent times. He was a prankster and the memoirs are full of the innocent humor and bravado of a typical nineteen year old. But as the war progressed, the humor and bravado gradually morphed into the dark fatalism that only war and its carnage can accomplish.
He began his service as a romantic warrior, proud to serve his country in the elite submarine service. Before the war had ended, he was a highly decorated hero...and a broken, hungry man, old beyond his years and wondering what it was all for.
I hope you have an opportunity to log onto U-Boat 15. Franz would like a word with you.
And now, back to the 21st century music world. Wetwerks has very obviously worked very hard to accomplish what I'm hearing in my headphones. The band deserves high marks for the attention to detail pervading the tracks posted on their Sellaband page. I like to listen at a fairly soft level and this is how I hear it.
First, all the instrumental virtuosity in the world cannot hide a crap song. I mean, how many guitar stores are there in the "civilized" world? And every one of them is bursting at the seams with zit-encrusted speed demons burning their licks on demo rigs at 240 beats per minute...and All of them work at burger joints! Why? Because they can't play a fucking SONG! And without a song, it's just a pile of cacophanous noise.
"Further Than My Eyes" is a SONG. And Wetwerks has hand-crafted that song to be enjoyed by a broader audience than the first listen would indicate. The rhythm section doesn't just sound good...they feel good. The track is butt-hole tight and very professionally executed.
The guitars are all steroids and hair and balls...but when you listen for the third and fourth time, you realize that you can hear details. These parts are very well thought out and great attention has been paid to dynamics. And the dynamics of the guitars in combination with the vicious accuracy of the rhythm section are the perfect frame around...
...the Vocals. The band plays and sounds very aggressive, but at no time is the vocal compromised. Not only could I hear the lyrics, I could understand every word. That sort of sonic awareness only comes with maturity, musicianship and a lot of good old hard work.
The bottom line of Bottom-End is this. Wetwerks has already done the hard part. In the proper recording environment and with an ample recording budget, Wetwerks is certain to make a big impression . A big hat's off.
So class, here is your homework:
1. Log on to U-Boat 15 and check out grandfather's blog.
2. Log on to Sellaband and listen to Wetwerks...three or four times.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Guitar Maintenance, and Kontrust on Sellaband
Have you ever taken your guitar out of the case, played a few of your hippest licks and been disgusted with the way it feels in your hands? Many times, you may be in a rush and put it out of your mind. Many times you just get used to it, play around the stiffness. A guitar needs love and affection. That's why it was designed to be played with your hands. It needs attention and if you give it the proper care, it will love you back more than you can imagine.
So, what to do. Change strings? Maybe you have taken the time to change strings only to find that your guitar still feels tired. Here is a tip I learned from my friend Jamie. You may have read about him in a previous blog entry entitled, "If You Know I Was There, I Did a Shitty Job" way back in April of 2006. You'll find it in the archives.
Every time I change strings on a guitar or bass, I take a little extra time to clean the neck and fret board. You can go nuts, mask off the finger board and polish the frets with metal polish but that takes time and if you are not careful, you can leave residue on the wood. A quick and very efficient method for doing the same job with a minimum of effort requires one tool which you probably already have handy.
After you remove the strings, Take a pencil eraser...yes a pencil eraser, the pink end that you don't write with, and hold it perpendicular to the fret board. Run the eraser the length of each fret 4 to 6 times, back and forth. Now feel the fret and compare the way it feels with the next one. Amazing isn't it? Cheap, fast, no muss no fuss. And when you string your guitar, you'll be surprised at how nice it feel to bend a note.
Of course, if you have time, you should always clean the fret board and give it a little lemon oil as well. But just a good erasing will make frets feel like new.
And now my review of another artist from Sellaband, the seemingly ethical alternative to the "old school" record business.
Kontrust is a band out of Vienna, Austria. I listened to the three tracks posted on the Sellaband web site and my only question is, why is this band not already being ripped off by a major record company? This is a REALLY good act! I would love to be in Vienna for their show on June 30th to see for myself if they are for real.
The songs are interesting and performed with vicious commitment. These are excellent musicians who deliver tracks with a very mature and aggressive precision. The lead vocals are masterfully performed and there is just enough grit to let you know that this is Rock with a capital 'R' although the meticulous musicianship is hard to hide.
Now keep in mind that the tunes on the web site are mp3's and they just don't sound big enough for my taste. This band should be taken in large, loud doses...really loud doses. With the proper production facilities and equipment, and with adequate financial support, Kontrust will turn some heads. They certainly turned mine.
Now go clean your guitar!
So, what to do. Change strings? Maybe you have taken the time to change strings only to find that your guitar still feels tired. Here is a tip I learned from my friend Jamie. You may have read about him in a previous blog entry entitled, "If You Know I Was There, I Did a Shitty Job" way back in April of 2006. You'll find it in the archives.
Every time I change strings on a guitar or bass, I take a little extra time to clean the neck and fret board. You can go nuts, mask off the finger board and polish the frets with metal polish but that takes time and if you are not careful, you can leave residue on the wood. A quick and very efficient method for doing the same job with a minimum of effort requires one tool which you probably already have handy.
After you remove the strings, Take a pencil eraser...yes a pencil eraser, the pink end that you don't write with, and hold it perpendicular to the fret board. Run the eraser the length of each fret 4 to 6 times, back and forth. Now feel the fret and compare the way it feels with the next one. Amazing isn't it? Cheap, fast, no muss no fuss. And when you string your guitar, you'll be surprised at how nice it feel to bend a note.
Of course, if you have time, you should always clean the fret board and give it a little lemon oil as well. But just a good erasing will make frets feel like new.
And now my review of another artist from Sellaband, the seemingly ethical alternative to the "old school" record business.
Kontrust is a band out of Vienna, Austria. I listened to the three tracks posted on the Sellaband web site and my only question is, why is this band not already being ripped off by a major record company? This is a REALLY good act! I would love to be in Vienna for their show on June 30th to see for myself if they are for real.
The songs are interesting and performed with vicious commitment. These are excellent musicians who deliver tracks with a very mature and aggressive precision. The lead vocals are masterfully performed and there is just enough grit to let you know that this is Rock with a capital 'R' although the meticulous musicianship is hard to hide.
Now keep in mind that the tunes on the web site are mp3's and they just don't sound big enough for my taste. This band should be taken in large, loud doses...really loud doses. With the proper production facilities and equipment, and with adequate financial support, Kontrust will turn some heads. They certainly turned mine.
Now go clean your guitar!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Support Exercises For Singers
As I have discussed in previous posts, breath control and support are essential to singing. Here is a vocal exercise that has proven to be extremely helpful in building better support. Keep in mind that the exercise is only designed to increase the body's awareness of proper support. It is not a "tone" or "range" exercise.
1. This exercise uses a 5 note descending scale, 5-4-3-2-1.
2. This exercise should be sung only in same range as the speaking voice. You should sing no higher than is comfortable.
3, Sing each pitch on the vowel 'Oh', starting the sound with an 'H' or a slight burst of air. This requires a quick contraction of the abdominal muscles. Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho. The sequence is sung with one breath.
4. Each note should be short and have impact. It should feel the same as if you are laughing...belly laughing.
5. Using a very narrow range, go up and down by half-steps. The entire range of the series should not exceed one octave.
Repetition is the name of the game here. Don't let yourself get bored. Feel each note as being important. really work the abs and put a good 'H' on each note. The point is to use a lot of air...more that you would need for a typical song phrase. Repetition of the sequence will train the body to take in the right amount of air per phrase.
After 5 to 7 minutes, double up the Ho's per note. in other words:
HO-HO, HO-HO, HO-HO, HO-HO, HO
As before, make every note important. Sing very staccato in short, detached bursts.
This exercise is the base coat of what should be a 20 minute daily workout. Gradually, the benefits will seep into your singing and you will realize an improvement in pitch and density of tone. And remember, the place to think is in the practice room. efficient exercises will enable you to interpret songs without thinking of technique. Don't make it difficult...it's always simpler than it seems!
1. This exercise uses a 5 note descending scale, 5-4-3-2-1.
2. This exercise should be sung only in same range as the speaking voice. You should sing no higher than is comfortable.
3, Sing each pitch on the vowel 'Oh', starting the sound with an 'H' or a slight burst of air. This requires a quick contraction of the abdominal muscles. Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho. The sequence is sung with one breath.
4. Each note should be short and have impact. It should feel the same as if you are laughing...belly laughing.
5. Using a very narrow range, go up and down by half-steps. The entire range of the series should not exceed one octave.
Repetition is the name of the game here. Don't let yourself get bored. Feel each note as being important. really work the abs and put a good 'H' on each note. The point is to use a lot of air...more that you would need for a typical song phrase. Repetition of the sequence will train the body to take in the right amount of air per phrase.
After 5 to 7 minutes, double up the Ho's per note. in other words:
HO-HO, HO-HO, HO-HO, HO-HO, HO
As before, make every note important. Sing very staccato in short, detached bursts.
This exercise is the base coat of what should be a 20 minute daily workout. Gradually, the benefits will seep into your singing and you will realize an improvement in pitch and density of tone. And remember, the place to think is in the practice room. efficient exercises will enable you to interpret songs without thinking of technique. Don't make it difficult...it's always simpler than it seems!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Okay, Okay, I'll write another Sellaband Review
Alright! Okay! I promise that I will write some funny stuff soon. Also, I have noticed from my statcounter that there have been more than a few hits on the archived pages regarding Breathing and Support. So I promise that there will be an entry with some helpful support exercises for the singers in my audience.
BUT...as I've made some new friends on line through my association with Sellaband, I'm going to dedicate a paragraph or two of every blog entry to review some artists that I think warrant some attention. The ground rules I will adhere to are these:
1. I will not write about artists that I don't like.
2. I will be honest, positive and constructive in my comments.
ConFused5 is a band from my hometown. I had to give a listen to the boys from the 'hood, especially if the 'hood is Salzburg. I listened to the three tracks available on their Sellaband page and my first impression is that this band is not confused at all. There is a characteristic thread running through all three offerings. The main element that appeals to me is the effort made toward honest, vintage sounding instrument tracks.
The harmony lead guitar sections are played very musically and have real balls. The guitars sound LOUD...as they should in this type of music. And the interplay with the keyboards is also effectively executed.
The bass and drum tracks are also aggressively played although I get the Idea that the bass parts are occasionally a bit busy for the style and could stand to "lock" with the drums. The problem here is a technical one. In the old days of analog recording, the bass was frequently a huge gob of mud, pulsating low frequencies along with the kick drum. It was sometimes difficult to make out intricate parts and I think that many older records are perceived to "groove" harder because of a degree of muddiness. With the clarity of modern recording techniques, the mating of bass and kick drum has become much more critical and intricacy can sometimes be self-defeating. Nothing 50K and a good recording environment wouldn't straighten out.
I am very impressed with the vocal sound of the band. A hint of Jack Bruce comes immediately to mind on "Why Me." I would LOVE to hear something from ConFused5 in German...better yet in Austrian dialect. Everybody wants to sing in English, I understand the need to reach a larger audience. But this band is developing a signature sound, an aggressive, masculine yet controlled, characteristic sound of their own. I'd really like to hear them rip it up in German one time.
So, bottom line from the Bottom-End...ConFused5 is not confusing at all. Straight forward, ass-kicking singing and playing. Interesting songs and really good concepts in sound.
Alright then, next entry will be on support, I promise. Don't forget to visit my friends in the links section. Now beat it...it's late.
BUT...as I've made some new friends on line through my association with Sellaband, I'm going to dedicate a paragraph or two of every blog entry to review some artists that I think warrant some attention. The ground rules I will adhere to are these:
1. I will not write about artists that I don't like.
2. I will be honest, positive and constructive in my comments.
ConFused5 is a band from my hometown. I had to give a listen to the boys from the 'hood, especially if the 'hood is Salzburg. I listened to the three tracks available on their Sellaband page and my first impression is that this band is not confused at all. There is a characteristic thread running through all three offerings. The main element that appeals to me is the effort made toward honest, vintage sounding instrument tracks.
The harmony lead guitar sections are played very musically and have real balls. The guitars sound LOUD...as they should in this type of music. And the interplay with the keyboards is also effectively executed.
The bass and drum tracks are also aggressively played although I get the Idea that the bass parts are occasionally a bit busy for the style and could stand to "lock" with the drums. The problem here is a technical one. In the old days of analog recording, the bass was frequently a huge gob of mud, pulsating low frequencies along with the kick drum. It was sometimes difficult to make out intricate parts and I think that many older records are perceived to "groove" harder because of a degree of muddiness. With the clarity of modern recording techniques, the mating of bass and kick drum has become much more critical and intricacy can sometimes be self-defeating. Nothing 50K and a good recording environment wouldn't straighten out.
I am very impressed with the vocal sound of the band. A hint of Jack Bruce comes immediately to mind on "Why Me." I would LOVE to hear something from ConFused5 in German...better yet in Austrian dialect. Everybody wants to sing in English, I understand the need to reach a larger audience. But this band is developing a signature sound, an aggressive, masculine yet controlled, characteristic sound of their own. I'd really like to hear them rip it up in German one time.
So, bottom line from the Bottom-End...ConFused5 is not confusing at all. Straight forward, ass-kicking singing and playing. Interesting songs and really good concepts in sound.
Alright then, next entry will be on support, I promise. Don't forget to visit my friends in the links section. Now beat it...it's late.
Monday, June 18, 2007
My Pitch for Sellaband
I'm going to make one more pitch for something I've grown to believe in. Sellaband is a fairly new music site that has much to offer both artists and the music consumer. The interesting twist is the marketing system. Sellaband provides a virtual gathering place where artists can put their ideas in front of consumers who can then decide to become investors. The democracy of the concept is appealing.One winter, long ago, my neighborhood was snowed in to the extent that all travel came to a standstill. The snowplows couldn't make it to our street. It was Christmas Eve and nobody could go to the store. So the adults pooled their resources. One family had potatoes, another vegetables and so on. The result was that, what was once five separate families wondering how to put Christmas dinner on the table became one big family feasting together.And that is basically how Sellaband works. One neighbor has the talent, another has the technical know-how, and another has the funding. Everyone wins because everyone has an important part to play. I am a professional skeptic, but I have become a believer.In Sellaband terms, being a believer means that you believe in an artist enough to put ten dollars where your mouth is. When an artist has generated fifty grand in belief, Sellaband will produce and market a professional product and everyone involved shares in the proceeds. That's really the gist of it but you can get all the details here.I want to mention a few artists that have caught my attention. I hope that you can take a moment to check these artists out for yourself on the Sellaband web site. I am associated with Lucia Iman as her bass player and by virtue of the fact that she studies voice with me. She is a very talented songwriter and pianist, but it's her delivery that has made her one of the fastest rising artists on the charts. Bulletproof Messenger performed at the recent London Calling show which Lucia Iman opened. Very musical, very ballsy. This band deserves a listen.Then there are the Vegas Dragons from Australia. You gotta check this band out just because Brian is such a trip. This guy's energy is...well, I want them to do well just to see them on a big stage.And the last band that I will plug in my shameless way comes from the homeland. Solidtube was a pleasant surprise. This Austrian trio sounds like they cut their musical teeth in the California summer of love. The singer has a delivery and vocal character that is all torn blue jeans and beaded fringed jackets. If they are successful on Sellaband, they will have an opportunity to bring the quality of their production to the same level as the quality of their songs. Solidtube is worth a listen.Well that's my pitch for a way to market music that, for my money, beats the shit out of the ugly mess once known as the "Music Business." Give it a try.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Two Things You Must Do in London
London. Up until my recent trip in support of Lucia Iman's Sellaband concert, all that I knew about London was the frantic rush between terminals at Heathrow airport. I have many friends in and from London, but oddly enough, I have never had reason to leave the airport. My recent experiences in the erstwhile capitol of the English-speaking world can be distilled down to two bits of 100 proof advice.Look right!Take money...with you I mean...and lots of it.After taking the Tube to the Earl's Court station, we were left with a short walk to our accommodations. The weather was wonderfully mild and after the eleven hour flight, a short walk was just what the doctor ordered. A short, pleasant walk...which very nearly became a walk straight into the jaws of an ignoble death at the hands of the bane of the foreign pedestrian, the widely feared BLACK CAB!As I stepped onto the pavement to cross the street, I read the words, "Look Right" painted on the asphalt under my feet. Naturally, I obeyed my instincts, looked LEFT and walked on confidently. If the cab had been painted with one more coat, I would be writing this from the grave. They drive on the wrong side of the street over there! All of them...and fast. And no matter how many times I saw, "Look Right" painted in big white letters on the pavement, I always looked left, and I was always nearly in danger of becoming a hood ornament.Clearly, If I was to see London before being killed, I would have to join the traffic flow. We decided that we would ride inside one of the famous London Black Cabs. One thing I can say for London, You don't wait long for a cab. The city streets are rife with the bastards. They are like big, shiny water bugs crawling over every paved inch of the town. No, you don't wait long for a cab...it's after you get inside that the waiting begins.You see, the streets are so crowded with cabs, that you really can't get to where you are going any faster than if you had walked. I looked out of the taxi and a Fruit stand caught my eye. And before we had driven the length of the block, I thought that I saw the shopkeeper grow old and gray. His son took over the business and he in turn took on the appearance of of an old, bent man, worn out by years of carrying bushels of fruit to and from the sidewalk from his store. Alright, okay, I may have stretched the truth a bit, but I swear that the grapes had turned to raisins before we rounded the corner.An hour's ride inside a London cab will get you about the same distance as a good 30 minute walk. And this is where my second bit of advice comes in. Wait, just wait til you realize that while you were chatting, while the sights of London were looking back at you through the cab window, while the world outside was going about its business...the meter was running. No, the meter was sprinting. The rocket propelled vehicles attempting to set speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats are land tortoises in comparison to a London cab meter. I've never seen anything move that fast without igniting.If you want to stay alive...if you want to ride in a cab, bring money. Lots of it.After our cab ride, I was somewhat confused. Whenever we walked and came anywhere near an intersection, there seemed to be hundreds of cabs speeding past waiting for the slowest of the herd to look the wrong way. But the instant we flagged down and entered a cab, even my metabolism seemed to come to a screeching halt. I tried to get a look into a number of cabs that almost got me as I put my foot into the street as if testing the pool temperature. But they always flew by too fast for me to see if anyone was inside. I really wish I could have had just one ride in one of those speeding cabs. But I think they only have those to run people over with.So...That's London in a nutshell. Two things to remember. Look Right...and bring lots of money.On the serious side, Please check out the new links in the sidebar. Check out Sellaband and become a part of a great new way to support new music.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
London Calling Lucia Iman
I've just returned from a fantastic trip to London. Lucia Iman performed at the Gibson Guitar Studios as the opening act for an Evening With Sellaband. If you have a soft spot in your heart for hardworking musicians, I urge you to visit Lucia's page on the Sellaband site where you can watch her performance and make up your own mind. It was an absolute pleasure to play bass behind this very talented musician. Currently, she is number 5 out of 4000 acts and rising. I hope that all of you take a moment to read up on how Sellaband works. Personally, I've always been skeptical of fund raising schemes, but after meeting everyone involved with this organization, I can endorse their business plan without reservation.I'll be writing about all the craziness that is London in another posting. It will make you laugh and I'll get to vent my spleen a bit. But for now, do something good for the music world and check out Sellaband. You won't regret it.Cheers for now.
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